Background on Embraced Ministry
The Religious Society of Friends believes that all are called to discern their spiritual gifts and leadings. Rather than ordaining ministers, Quakers believe all Friends are called by the Spirit to minister to one another and the world. In this "priesthood of all believers," the laity, not the minister, have been eliminated. Early Quakers viewed church offices and titles as human creations that were often merely outward forms, unmatched by the inward transformation of heart by the Inward Christ. Over the centuries, Quaker Yearly Meetings have developed a variety of processes for 1) discerning a call to a particular ministry, 2) publicly naming the ministries of individual Friends, and 3) holding Friends accountable to be responsible, ethical, and faithful to their call to ministry and to the Religious Society of Friends. These processes are called by many names - from public ministry to recorded ministry. At Baltimore Yearly Meeting, we use the language of Embraced Ministry.
Baltimore Yearly Meeting uses a process of Embraced Ministry, as outlined in our Guidelines for Embracing the Ministry of Friends. Embraced Ministry primarily happens at the level of the Monthly Meeting. In addition, when the scope of a ministry extends beyond the local community, the Yearly Meeting may also Embrace a Friend's ministry. The BYM Guidelines for Embracing Ministry speak to a covenant made with God, and clarified through individual and corporate discernment. At the heart of the covenant is the experience of being called forth to perform God’s service, and responding to this call with faith, love, and truth. Prayerful consideration, including both individual and corporate discernment, is required to test whether an individual is rightly led.
Embraced Ministries of Baltimore Yearly Meeting
Many additional ministries are embraced at the Monthly Meeting level. Please contact the monthly meeting for information about locally Embraced Ministries.
Ministry: Peacebuilding
Name: Stewart Green
Monthly Meeting: Patapsco
Embraced by BYM: March 21, 2026
Accountability Contact: TBD
Travel Minute [insert link when available]
Quaker Public Ministry Resources
- BYM Guidelines for Embraced Ministry
- Public Friends
Ensuring the future of Friends in North America by supporting and developing Quaker ministers to a professional standard - Friend Incubator for Public Ministry
Empowering emerging Quaker leaders and their communities through spiritual formation, education, and collaboration, revitalizing public ministry to create a vibrant, modern Quakerism for today's world. - A Brief History of the Quaker Practices of "Recording" Ministers
